Things I Wish I Had Taught My Son- And Still Can is a daily email that I started sending my son when he left for college a couple of years ago. I felt that there was so much left to pass on. I thought the medium of email (directly to his phone) would be the best way to reach him. Now this series of emails have been compiled into a trio of books. This is the first one. These emails include life lessons, business lessons, how-to's, found wisdom, and words of encouragement for the interesting life ahead.

I am the father of 8 children with a beautiful challenge at juggling life, health, family, career, entrepreneurship, etc. I believe in learning by teaching. Therefore, I invested quality time almost everyday writing these emails so that they could serve as guideposts for my oldest son, and so that they could also direct all my other children. All but the youngest three read along with my son.

At the prompting of some friends, I made these emails public shortly after I started writing him and live on my blog. The feedback I received prompted me to follow up with this book. I sincerely hope that these reflections transfer something of value to you and your family.

The following is lesson #8 to my son:

#8 Things I wish I had taught my son- And still can
Finding you...

Now that you're in college, some of your professors won't only teach about what's outside you. Some will teach about and probe deeply into what's inside you, specifically inside your mind, your heart.

So who are you? Do you know? Do you have the ability to look at yourself from the outside looking in?

Finding you is a lifelong process, but it seems that college really throws you headfirst into this discovery. Finding you will require reflecting on all the choices you've made, taking inventory of all your successes and shortcomings, and considering where you came from. You'll have to consider who your mother is, who your father is. You'll have to find a piece of your puzzle in each of your grandparents. And you'll have to understand how the schools you went to have shaped you. You'll also have to weigh in on how your culture, neighborhood, part of town, socioeconomic level, social clubs, athletic teams, coaches, teachers, brothers, sisters, groups of friends, girlfriends, confidence (or lack thereof), physical development, scolding, praises, stress level and an even longer list of emotional guideposts shaped you to get a clearer picture.

Whew! So who are you?

When you find out, let me know?

When I find out who I am, I'll let you know.

Your papi

Ultimately, this book is about many things. Life, business, relationships, belief systems, tradition, preparedness, love, family, culture-view, common sense and uncommon sense, the brain, psychology, God, science, balance, wisdom and the list extends beyond all borders.

The book is meant to be practical, a reference book for coming into manhood. It is meant to inspire, to challenge, and to cheer on my son and family (and myself).

Final reflections

I've still got lots of big plans, books and songs to write and sing, movies to produce, stories to make and collect, inventions to push into the market, volleyball games to watch, grey hair to steward in, marathons to run, places to visit, who knows what's in store...

I have already lived a satisfying life, and I'm grateful to God for the flow of blessings I always receive.

As you can imagine in a household with 8 kids, there is always a tremendous ruckus here, stuff to laugh at, kids to scold... Just the way I like it.

Peace... What's that?